Atri woke beneath the light of dawn, its elegant homes awakening as the shimmering sound of flowing water echoed through its canals. The rising sun cast gentle gold across the waterways, which were meticulously maintained, reflecting both the open sky above and the grandeur of the city itself.

  Atri represented one thing above all, freedom, the pride and jewel of the nation.

  Though surrounded by towering stone walls and fortified gates, Atri still extended a welcome to any who wished to enter, its defenses serving more as reassurance than threat. Those from distant nds traveled to Atri for trade, their caravans filling the streets with goods, nguages, and ambitions, all drawn to the capital’s promise of prosperity and opportunity.

  At the city’s heart rose a white castle, its immacute stone walls polished smooth, trumping the nearby rooftops in height, almost like a monument reaching for the sun.

  The noise of the city thinned near the castle walls. Stone dampened the sound, and while guards did not enforce silence, the citizens showed respect to the one who advocated for their freedom.

  Within the immacute throne room sat a single woman.

  Surrounded by guards and retainers, her elegant figure was framed by sunlight pouring through the castle’s tall gss windows, a pale ray settling upon her presence alone.

  Her purple-and-blue dress contrasted the color of the castle’s walls, but somehow blended in seamlessly with the stone around her. She did not tower over her surroundings, as the throne rose only slightly above the floor, its height matching the retainers’ gaze rather than surpassing it.

  Light blue eyes scanned the documents pced before her moments earlier. As the retainer dared to lift his gaze, faint glitter caught the light upon her lips, shining with quiet brilliance.

  Strangely, she wore no crown.

  It was not for ck of one, her personal vault housed hundreds, but because a crown demanded authority. She wished to be seen not as a ruler above others, but as a leader among them.

  The retainer stepped back into a deep bow as the gilded doors behind him began to open, metal groaning softly through the vast chamber. The guards followed suit, bowing in practiced unison.

  The Queen barely lifted her head, but she was already captivated.

  A pair of footsteps echoed through the entrance, and the temperature in the room shifted. Cold air spilled in from beyond the doors, yet the figure standing there radiated warmth, not born of fear or nerves, but of something far more dangerous.

  The Queen’s Birthmark pulsated faintly as she sensed it all. She did not need to look nor listen. The air they breathed and the heat they carried told her everything she needed to know. For her, the atmosphere itself spoke its own personalized nguage.

  The woman stepped inside as the metallic doors behind her closed slowly.

  She was different from those surrounding her.

  Her presence cked the Queen’s absoluteness, yet the room adjusted around her all the same. The guards immediately straightened, and conversations stilled for a fraction of a second.

  She was about a head taller than the retainer standing next to the Queen. Sunlight caught her vivid red hair, setting it afme beneath the gss ceiling. Her casual white coat reflected much of the light, sharp and clean against the polished stone.

  On her waist, she carried two bdes, one resting on each hip. Though their steel y hidden within their scabbards, the hilts were wrapped in an unfamiliar gold; ornate, worn, and deliberate.

  As she drew closer to the throne, her green eyes met the Queen, the space between them narrowing despite the raised seat.

  To the surprise of everyone however, she did not bow before the Queen.

  “Your Majesty.”

  Her voice carried effortlessly across the hall, low and sweet, a tone gentle enough to disarm, yet rich enough to ensnare even the most hardened of men.

  The voice of a flower in full bloom.

  Shock seeped in within those around her, as her blunt wording worried for the well-being of the captain of the knights. The guards behind her stiffened and the retainers froze, their audible gasp sucked the air of the room into their lungs.

  However, the Queen showed no reaction to the breach of etiquette. No flicker of irritation crossed her face. Instead, she answered in a voice that was deep and unwavering, one that carried command not through volume, but certainty.

  “Welcome back, Hana,” the Queen replied, setting her papers aside. “What’s the status of the disappearances?”

  “We’ve confirmed twenty-three victims,” Hana replied.

  The Queen raised a brow. “Any connections between the victims?”

  Hana continued without hesitation, “Ten of them were ordinary citizens, no ties to the royal military. However…”

  “However?”

  “Five were night guards posted at the east gate. Five were librarians scattered across the city. And three were priests. Furthermore, we found weird markings near their corpses.”

  “So they’re after information, I had assumed they wanted to disrupt the Mage Tower Candidacy Ceremony,” she rested her chin on her hand, her focus sharpened as she looked past the documents to the shimmering canals visible through the decorated gss.

  “But that’s not all,” Hana added. “After their spree ended in Atri, simir incidents have been reported elsewhere.”

  “Where does this lead?” the Queen asked.

  “To Ka. So far, only two disappearances are confirmed, but it’s likely more will follow.”

  “And like Atri, the two victims were librarians.”

  Concern crossed the Queen’s face. “Ka? Then there’s no doubt that they’re going to try to infiltrate the magic academy’s library.”

  Her gaze drifted past Hana, settling briefly on the tall windows lining the throne room. Beyond the gss, Atri stood calm and unmoving, far too peaceful for the danger creeping through her thoughts. There wasn’t much in Ka to begin with.

  If the culprits truly sought deep information, then why Ka at all? The Queen couldn’t recall leaving, or allowing anything of value in the city, let alone within a provincial academy.

  No, it may not have been what was truly left behind, but the possibility. The name of the city sounded extremely familiar in the Queen’s ears beyond simply being a settlement in her nation.

  Her fingers tapped once against the armrest of her throne. Everything important was held in the capital, she had ordered it to prevent situations like these from arising. However, to search for reason in madness was like trying to cut water with a pair of bdes.

  “Kuno.” The Queen snapped from her trance, “Kuno was raised in Ka, was she not?”

  Kuno Maira, the famed Butterfly Mage, one of the few people to successfully infiltrate the Mage Tower. She had left the nation half a decade ago, and if the mad cultists sought out information in regards to power, searching the birthpce of the world’s most powerful mage was a logical start.

  She had nearly lost herself in specution once more until Hana spoke, her voice cut cleanly through the chamber. She had known the Queen long enough to be able to sense the exact moment her thoughts had begun to drift.

  “I’ve already dispatched knights from the capital and stationed forces at the academy,” Hana said. “I also request permission to travel to Ka myself.”

  “If I may,” a retainer spoke up nervously, “I don’t believe the nation’s greatest defense should leave Her Majesty’s side during such dangerous times. May I suggest sending in one of the Queensguard instead?”

  Before the Queen could respond, Hana spoke in her stead.

  “Are you diminishing Her Majesty’s ability to defend herself?” Hana asked with a sharp tone.

  “But more importantly, if the culprits we’re searching for are seeking information, we would need to raise Ka’s security as much as possible. Unlike the other cities, their defenses are quite x due to their isoted nature.”

  She met the retainer’s gaze with a sharp gre, her spotless skin wrinkling as her expression soured.

  The Queen raised her palm, halting the exchange.

  “Permission granted.”

  She continued calmly, “It’s undeniable that Hana is one of our most valuable assets, but sending in any of the Queensguard is even riskier, since smaller cities would be left essentially defenseless.”

  “Atri can defend herself, there are countless adventurers, knights, and mages stationed here. But Ka has very little means to defend themselves. Even if it’s only for a few days, we need to spread ourselves thin for the sake of saving lives.”

  “Our duties lie in protecting all of Fridan, and not just its capital.”

  The retainer immediately lowered his head, his voice trembling. “Please forgive my ignorance, Your Majesty.”

  “Don’t you worry yourself about it,” the Queen remarked, “I value your concern, and I hope I made everyone in here at ease with my response.”

  The tension eased, and both guards and retainers exhaled in relief. Though worry lingered in their minds, their hearts had returned to a normal rhythm. Leaning back into her chair, she stated, “This works fine for me, I sent Louis on an expedition, so I was pnning on asking you regardless.”

  Hana respectfully inclined her head. “I will depart immediately. Even with breaks, I should arrive by night.”

  With a single motion, the Queen lifted her hand in farewell.

  “Have a safe trip.”

  The doors closed behind Hana, leaving only muffled echoes of her footsteps beyond the throne room.